Snakes on a Plane
blog party, but the film’s poster has finally released, causing more
than a few raised eyebrows among the self-appointed cultural
commentators of the blogosphere.

There’s been a lot of attention heaped on this movie — about an FBI agent (Samuel L. Jackson) assigned to protect a witness in a murder trial, and the Mob boss who
attempts to kill said witness, via titular manner, during a flight over
the Pacific — because of its deliciously pokerfaced Teflon title, and
almost all of it sight-unseen. Now, on the heels of its first teaser
trailers comes the poster for Snakes on a Plane,
though, which bows August 18 from distributor New Line, and I’m not
sure that it really works. Shouldn’t the title be ironic counterpoint
to what is otherwise a deadly straightforward concept pitch? This
poster doesn’t seem to be that.

1997’s Anaconda gathered Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Eric Stoltz, among others (think of that cast in the same film
now!), but it wasn’t until after the movie opened, mid-spring, that
audiences discovered the unhinged delights of Jon Voight’s performance,
during which he at one point actually winks after being regurgitated by
a giant snake. Would selling the movie with a wink have increased its
$130 million worldwide haul, split almost evenly between domestically
and abroad? Unlikely, as kitschy products — movies inclusive — have a
short shelf life when birthed honestly but additional cachet when
discovered more organically. Audiences enjoy feeling smarter,
collectively and individually, than a movie like Snakes on a Plane,
and trying to lure in a crowd not predisposed and programmed to its
tongue in cheek tone could have the opposite effect of dampening viral
enthusiasm. So has Snakes on a Plane
peaked? We’ll see, time will tell. But it feels like it.

In the meantime, by all means, click over to their
web site for more on the movie, including wallpapers and desktop icons. No free snakes, though. What bullshit…